The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee expressed concern Sunday that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has not adequately scrutinized President Trump’s finances and said House investigators plan to probe Trump’s relationship with a bank implicated in Russian money laundering.

“We are not interested in our committee in whether he’s a tax cheat or not worth what he says he is,” Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) said in an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “What we are interested in is, does the president have business dealings with Russia such that it compromises the United States?”

In particular, Schiff said the House panel plans to investigate Trump’s two-decade relationship with Deutsche Bank, a German institution that has paid hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties in recent years after admitting its role in a $10 billion money laundering scheme that allowed clients in Russia to move vast sums overseas.

Schiff voiced concern that Mueller has shied away from investigating Trump’s ties to the German lender, saying that “if the special counsel hasn’t subpoenaed Deutsche Bank, he can’t be doing much of a money laundering investigation.”

Schiff was referring to reports last year that Mueller’s office had told Trump’s lawyers it was not seeking Deutsche Bank records related to Trump’s accounts or loans. Deutsche Bank became a critical lender to Trump in the late 1990s when major U.S. banks refused to do business with the New York real estate developer after repeated bankruptcies.

Trump has described his finances as a “red line” Mueller should not cross, and he threatened to fire Mueller in late 2017 amid reports that the special counsel was seeking records from Deutsche Bank. Trump reportedly backed down after his lawyers obtained assurances from Mueller.

I am pretty sure that Mueller would leave and planned to leave, the financial improprieties for Trump for a follow on investigation. Mueller mandate was narrowly framed and branching off would equate it to a Clintonesque Ken Starr investigation which no one wanted.

As it is Congressional investigations can be very effective if there is dirt there. It was the two Congressional Investigations and the Washington post article that leaf the AG to appoint first Cox and then Jaworski to the Watergate Special counsel. While some of the more important questioning is behind close doors, a lot of it is public unlike a Grand Jury Investigation and make for fascinating TV

I doubt that he’s been compelled by Trump’s ‘red line.’ I think it is partly a political move by Schiff to pursue his financials, to draw the heat off Mueller. That said, the one compelling reason why Mueller won’t ‘go there’ is if no investigative trail has lead Mueller to Deutsche Bank, and he’s observing the letter of his mandate. I have to believe Mueller has, privately, all the financial data he needs, such as Trump’s tax returns. What he might lack is the evidentiary justification he needs to use it in a legal setting. That’s where Schiff comes in*. If Schiff subpoenas Deutsche Bank, and ‘uncovers’ something suspicious, he can then channel that to Mueller or another branch of DOJ, avoiding appearance of overreach by the Special Counsel.

Yes. I agree.Congressional hearings and oversight have few bounds and evidence uncovered can go to a special prosecutor, even if not mandated, that is currently empaneled, or, if no special prosecutor is empaneled to handle a potential matter, the mater is referred to the AG and if Barr gets the nod, he is unlikely enough to not sweep it under the table besides his legal leanings.